وَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ لَهُمْ نَصْرًا وَلَآ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَنصُرُونَ 192
Translations
And they [i.e., the false deities] are unable to [give] them help, nor can they help themselves.
Transliteration
Wa lā yastṭāʿūna lahum naṣran wa lā anfusahum yanṣurūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah emphasizes the complete helplessness of idols, stating that they cannot provide assistance to their worshippers, nor can they even help themselves. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari interpret this as a decisive refutation of idol worship, highlighting the logical absurdity of seeking aid from entities that are themselves powerless and incapable of self-preservation, thereby reinforcing monotheism (tawhīd) as the only rational path.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within a broader Meccan passage (7:191-198) that systematically dismantles the practice of idol worship through rational argumentation. The context addresses the polytheists who attributed partners to Allah by crafting idols from wood and stone, and this specific verse concludes the logical chain demonstrating that such idols deserve neither worship nor reliance.
Related Hadiths
While no hadith directly quotes this verse, Sahih Bukhari (3.34.305) contains hadith material related to the futility of worshipping besides Allah. The theme resonates with various hadiths on tawhīd, such as those in Sunan Ibn Mājah regarding the severity of shirk (associating partners with Allah).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers to place their complete trust solely in Allah, as all other entities—whether idols, wealth, or human intermediaries—are inherently powerless. For modern readers, it serves as a reminder to evaluate what or whom we rely upon in life and to redirect all hopes and petitions exclusively to the One True God.
Related Ayahs
قَالَ قَدْ وَقَعَ عَلَيْكُم مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ رِجْسٌ وَغَضَبٌ ۖ أَتُجَـٰدِلُونَنِى فِىٓ أَسْمَآءٍ سَمَّيْتُمُوهَآ أَنتُمْ وَءَابَآؤُكُم مَّا نَزَّلَ ٱللَّهُ بِهَا مِن سُلْطَـٰنٍ ۚ فَٱنتَظِرُوٓا۟ إِنِّى مَعَكُم مِّنَ ٱلْمُنتَظِرِينَ
[Hūd] said, "Already have defilement and anger fallen upon you from your Lord. Do you dispute with me concerning [mere] names you have named them, you and your fathers, for which Allāh has not sent down any authority? Then wait; indeed, I am with you among those who wait."
مَن يُضْلِلِ ٱللَّهُ فَلَا هَادِىَ لَهُۥ ۚ وَيَذَرُهُمْ فِى طُغْيَـٰنِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ
Whoever Allāh sends astray - there is no guide for him. And He leaves them in their transgression, wandering blindly.
ٱدْعُوا۟ رَبَّكُمْ تَضَرُّعًا وَخُفْيَةً ۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُعْتَدِينَ
Call upon your Lord in humility and privately; indeed, He does not like transgressors.
فَغُلِبُوا۟ هُنَالِكَ وَٱنقَلَبُوا۟ صَـٰغِرِينَ
And they [i.e., Pharaoh and his people] were overcome right there and became debased.